Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s contribution to the Indian team and Virat Kohli’s success as captain is well known.
Skipper Kohli has immense respect for Dhoni’s inputs, and the value-addition they bring.
Saturday witnessed one such occasion when Kohli made his admiration for Dhoni known, loud and clear, during the pre-match press conference here.
Asked about his recent photo-tweet of Dhoni and him, taken during India’s successful run-chase against Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup match in Mohali, that sparked off speculation of the latter’s retirement, Kohli said: “I was sitting at home and I, normally, put out a photograph and it became a news item.
“I think it was a lesson for me, that the way I think, the whole world doesn’t think that way. There was nothing in farthest stretch of my imagination (to hint Dhoni’s retirement) while putting that pic out on social media. Like what did I write.
“I remember that game even now..., every now and then. I never spoke about that game and so I thought I will put up a post. Now people interpreted it in a different manner in which there wasn’t even an iota of truth.
On the same page
“Numerous times people have given up on sportsmen and they have proved people wrong. He (Dhoni) has done that many times in his career. So, one great thing about him is that he thinks of Indian cricket. And whatever we think, he is on the same page. The alignment is there. The kind of mindset he has, to groom youngsters and give them opportunities.
“When you decide to stop playing is an absolutely individual thing, and no one else should have an opinion on it. That’s what I think. As long as he is available and continues to play, he is going to be very, very valuable.”
